Baking
How to sift flour and powdered sugar
Pass dry ingredients through a fine sieve to break up lumps and mix them evenly.
Step by step
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or a sheet of parchment.
- Spoon in the dry ingredients.
- Tap the side of the strainer or stir gently so they fall through.
- Press any lumps through with the back of a spoon.
How you know it's done
There are no lumps of powdered sugar, cocoa or baking soda left.
Common mistakes
- Skipping it for cocoa and powdered sugar, which hold stubborn lumps.
- Measuring after sifting when the recipe says to measure first (or the other way around).
Simmerbee recipes that use it (4)
- Chocolate Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting
- Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
- Fudgy Double Chocolate Cookies
- Yellow Birthday Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I sift?”
Related techniques
More baking
KneadProof (let rise)Cut in butterRub in butterCrimpEgg washGrease and flour a panLine a pan